The Intergenerational Effects of Political Influence: Evidence from China

This paper considers the effects of fathers’ political influence on their offspring’s labour market outcomes in China. Political influence refers to the ability to convert political power into economic benefits. This study identifies the dissolution of political influence by exploiting an age-based mandatory retirement rule in urban China. It exploits the variation of political influence in three dimensions: bureaucrat status, retirement status, and offspring gender. A difference-in-differences approach shows that the retirement of a bureaucrat translates into a 13 per cent decrease in offspring’s income. A triple-differences approach suggests retirement of a bureaucrat father translates into a 27 per cent decrease in earnings among sons. Retirement of a bureaucrat father is associated with larger income losses for offspring working in the same industry sector as their father and in industries that have a high concentration of assets or that are controlled by the state. This paper adds evidence to the growing literature estimating the economic benefits of political connections.     

Beyond the logic of capital and the polarization model

Foreword by Alfred W. McCoy to Voices from the Plain of Jars: Life under an Air War, edited by Fred Branfman with essays and drawings by Laotian villagers. (2nd ed. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 2013. xix+176 pp.). First published in 1972, Voices from the Plain of Jars was instrumental in exposing the massive secret U.S. bombing of Laos during the Vietnam War. In this expanded edition journalist and peace activist Fred Branfman brings the story forward in time, describing the hardships that Laotians faced after the war when they returned to find their farm fields littered with cluster munitions—explosives that continue to maim and kill today.     

A rejoinder

Industrial Growth and World Trade. By Alfred Maizels. London: Cambridge University Press. 1963. Pp. xxiii, 563.75/‐

Disguised Unemployment in Underdeveloped Areas, With Special Reference to South Korean Agriculture. By Yong Sam Cho. London; Cambridge University Press. 1964. Pp. xiv, 157. 30/‐     

冷战后的印俄关系

冷战后,印度与俄罗斯保持着密切的政治关系,两国高层互访不断。印俄关系发展源于双方没有重大利益冲突并互有重大需求。但印俄关系在一定程度上受到印美关系的影响,并对中俄关系和中印关系都产生了一定影响。     

Winnowing the chaff out of the grains: the intermixture of customary law and spiritualism in Ghana

Belief in the supernatural runs so deep in the cultural lives of Ghanaians that customary law – ‘the rules of law, which by custom are applicable to particular communities in Ghana’ – has not been spared its influence. This article asserts that state sanctioned enforcement of superstition inspired customs violates the fundamental constitutional value of freedom of conscience relative to persons who do not subscribe to such beliefs in the supernatural. But in order to accommodate the twin state interests of preserving customary laws and respecting the freedom of conscience, this article proposes the development of a body of customary laws devoid of superstition. It sets out to discuss why this idea is imperative and how it can be achieved.     

VHA Primary Care Providers’ Perspectives on Screening Female Veterans for Intimate Partner Violence: A Preliminary Assessment

Female Veterans experience intimate partner violence (IPV) at alarming rates. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) requires foundational research to guide the development of policy and programs to detect IPV among women Veterans and provide interventions. This pilot study reports findings from in-depth qualitative interviews conducted with 12 VHA primary care providers treating female Veterans in the New England region. Although most providers indicated that they were not currently routinely screening for IPV, they expressed positive attitudes and beliefs about screening in VHA primary care settings. Themes also included the importance of a comprehensive health care response to IPV, such as interdisciplinary coordination of care and team-based approaches to detection and intervention. Barriers to routine screening were identified, as well as recommendations for training programs and clinical tools to inform the successful implementation of a standardized IPV screening and response program in VHA. Although preliminary, these findings represent an initial step in an essential line of research.     

The Reliability of Swipe/Wipe Classification and Directionality Determination Methods in Bloodstain Pattern Analysis

Swipe and wipe are types of transfer patterns commonly encountered at bloodied scenes. So far, there have been little published data on the reliability of evaluating these patterns. In this study, 36 bloodstain patterns were randomly assigned to 12 analysts in three separate trials, and the analysts were required to evaluate the pattern type and directionality. The results revealed that correct classifications of patterns type were problematic, with an overall error rate of 32%. Wipes created from wet bloodstains were the most difficult to identify due to the absence of signs of alteration. The directionality of swipes made with a gloved finger had a 100% success rate; however, for swipes made with cloth, the analysts mistook the direction in nearly every case, which is of significant concern, considering these are common patterns at crime scenes. This study suggested there is a need for revising the current protocols for interpretation of these pattern types.     

Sexual Homicide by Older Male Offenders

Recent research has expanded our understanding of sexual homicide offenders (SHOs). However, little exists beyond case reports for older SHOs. We characterized male SHOs ≥ 55 years, comparing them to typical adult male SHOs who are in their 20s. Analysis of 37 years (1976–2012) of US Supplementary Homicide Reports data provided a large SHO sample (N = 3453). Three case reports provide clinical context for the diverse nature and patterns of older SHOs. Only 32 older male SHOs and no older female SHOs were identified. Murders by older SHOs accounted for only 0.5% of US sexual homicides. Unlike typical SHOs that generally target young adult females, over two‐thirds of older SHO victims were ≥40 years, and one‐third were ≥55 years. Sexual homicides by older SHOs, like sexual homicide in general, decreased over the study period. These crimes, while exceedingly rare, do occur, warranting special consideration.     

Building little safe and civilized communities: community crime prevention with Chinese characteristics?

This article describes a community crime prevention program in China, set against a background of rapid economic development, large internal population migration, and increasing crime rates. Traditional social control in China has been transformed to adapt to the new reform era, yet some mechanisms remain intact. Crime prevention measures and strategies resemble those adopted in the West; however, the differences, constituting the so-called Chinese characteristics with community crime prevention are significant.